I took the shinkansen for the first time in a long time. I always enjoy looking out the window as we fly by the different cities and rural areas. This time I travelled from Tokyo to Osaka so I went…
What’s Kanto and Kansai？
If you have been living in Japan for a while, you should hear the word “Kanto” and “Kansai” when people talking about the region. Have you ever wonder where are they? And what are the characters of and the differences…
Can’t wait to see the Cherry Blossom Forecast!
Japan is famous for cherry blossoms but did you know that you can even see the cherry blossom forecast in the weather news in Japan? As shown in this picture below, we can see areas on the map showing the…
Is there Chinese New Year in Japan?
Last week, many Asian countries had their Chinese New Year holidays. Have you ever wondered why as an Asian country, Japan doesn’t celebrate this festival? Actually, before the Meiji Restoration, Japan has been celebrating the Chinese New Year every year.…
Setsubun
Have you ever heard of Setsubun before? It’s an old Japanese holiday that is celebrated between February 2-4 (this year it’s Feb 2!). The date was traditionally the day before the first day of spring, but that is on the…
Osaka DuckTour: Amphibious vehicle tour
Amphibious vehicles are very suitable for touring. The reason being, you can enjoy the view from both land and water in one trip. In Osaka, you can make wonderful memories by joining the only tour of this kind with Osaka…
Live event in Osaka
There’s no doubt 2020 has been a tough year, and music fans are no exception. Joining a live music event (not online streaming) has become a luxury. However, the dream came true for me in early October at Expo’70 Commemorative…
Kyoto part 1 – “Kinkakuji Temple”
Part 1 of my Kyoto travel note, is Kinkakuji Temple! (Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkaku-ji). Kinkakuji Temple is one of Japan’s shiniest temples! It is all gold, covered with pure gold leaf! This is why it is one of the most popular buildings…
“Osaka” part 4 – “Shitennoji Temple”
Miss my Osaka posts? Part 4 of my Osaka travel, is Shitennoji Temple! (Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shitenn%C5%8D-ji). Shitennoji Temple is one of Japan’s oldest officially administered temples. The world’s largest bell “Tsurigane” was there too, until it was unfortunately destroyed in World…
“Osaka” part 2 – “Osaka Castle”
Hope all is well! Part 2 of my Osaka travel, is Osaka Castle!(Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka_Castle). This is very different from Dotonbori. It is so close, but so different! That is why I truly recommend Osaka! So many places to visit, and…